Kaycee Feild Wins Justin Boots Playoffs – Again

PUYALLUP, WASH. – Kaycee Feild has turned the Washington State Fair arena and the Justin Boots Playoffs into his personal playground. The four-time reigning World Champion Bareback Rider claimed his fourth win in the last five years here Sept. 13.

“I’ve had a lot of luck here, and I draw really well here,” Feild said moments after taking his victory lap around the arena.

Feild claimed the title here last season, but it appeared his successful streak was in jeopardy this year. He’d won every year since 2011 except 2013 – when his traveling partner Jessy Davis took the title.

Feild was the final qualifier from the 38-man bareback field to get into the eight-man semifinal round. He rode for 87 points in the semis – good for second place behind Austin Foss’ 87.5. Feild won the four-man final round with another ride for 87 points, on Calgary Stampede’s Reckless Margie.

“I had a good ride, and I knew it would take that to win here,” Feild said.

Tanner Aus had taken the lead in the bareback riding four-man final with a ride for 84.5 points, topping the first score of 77 posted by Davis. Feild was up third and went for 87 points, then survived as Austin Foss scored 81.5 on a re-ride.

Feild earned $9,350 in Puyallup and extended his lead in the Windham Weaponry High Performance PRCA World Standings over second-place Evan Jayne, who trailed Feild by about $8,500 entering the week.

“It’s always great to win here, and I’m really lucky at this place,” Feild insisted again. “It’s toward the end of the season and being in the No. 1 spot, I wanted to have more of a spread by the end of the season. I’m being pushed harder than I’ve ever been pushed, with so many good bareback riders out here.”

Feild missed about seven weeks of the spring season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left hip. His health is good, Feild said, but he could use some more time off so he can be 100 percent going into the Dec. 3-12 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.

“My hip is all right, but I need time where I can get it strong,” he said. “I just need time off from riding.”

He’s gone to more rodeos than usual late in the season, he said, as his traveling partners – Davis, Richmond Champion and Mason Clements, who is third in the Resistol Rookie bareback riding standings – are on the bubble trying to qualify for the WNFR.

“Expenses go up another third for those guys if I go home,” Feild said. “When the season’s over, I’ll go home and rest some.”

Not totally, though, not this goal-oriented athlete.

“I need to prove myself tougher than the rest of the guys,” Feild said. “I need to go home and ride the spur board more than them. I need to go to the gym more than them.”

Through the years, the 28-year-old cowboy from Spanish Fork, Utah, said he’s won “probably $70,000” at the Justin Boots Playoffs.